


some things are meant to be

by philindas



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Phil Coulson's Tie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-26 03:28:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10778595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/philindas/pseuds/philindas
Summary: Four times Melinda May tied Phil Coulson's tie, and one time she didn't.





	some things are meant to be

**Author's Note:**

> The inevitable tie-tying fic. Title from Can't Help Falling In Love. Utter fluff with the sweetest ending courtesy of an idea from Toni. Enjoy!

I.

“Do you need a hand?” he looks up at the amused voice, and he glares.

“I can tie a tie,” Phil turns his glare to the fabric in his hands, and Melinda May steps into his personal space, forcefully taking the tie from him.

“In Operations, we learn how to do a proper Windsor knot,” she teases, but she flashes him a grin to show there’s no weight behind her words. Phil rolls his eyes, but lets her finish tying the tie.

She smooths the knot down, adjusting it around his neck, and nerves flutter his stomach again.

“Congratulations,” she says, and he raises an eyebrow- she rolls her eyes, tucking the tie into his jacket and fixing the buttons. “On graduating top of the Communications class.”

“Thanks. Congrats on already getting your first mission,” that causes her eyebrows to raise in question, and Phil laughs. “Didn’t graduate top of the class for nothing.”

She smirks, palms still resting on his chest before she steps back, adjusting her dress strap as she turned, walking away.

“We probably shouldn’t be late to our own graduation ceremony,” she tells him over her shoulder, flashing him a grin as she bounced off, dark hair cascading down her back. Phil laughed, shaking his head, and followed.

II.

“Stop fidgeting,” he rolls his eyes but stills, and she takes his tie in her hands. “Why are you so nervous?”

“Unlike you, I hate undercover,” he tells her, and she snorts.

“I don’t like undercover. I’m good at it,” she corrects him, continuing to knot his tie. “You could be too, you know.”

“Oh really?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. But internally, he’s thinking about how good she looks in the red dress that clings to her hips and dips low in the back, and how undercover isn’t _that_ hard with her on his arm.

“It’s not that hard,” Melinda shrugs, tugging the knot up to his neck. “Just need to find the right partner.”

She gives him an unreadable look, and something low in his stomach jerks. Phil swallows hard, glancing out the window.

“At least Sausalito is beautiful. Look at the bay,” he stumbles over the words awkwardly, and Melinda gives him a pained smile.

She finishes tying his tie and steps back, undoing the clip from her hair and causing dark curls to fall around her shoulders.

“Let’s go. The mission awaits,” she tells him, opening the door and following him out, slipping her arm through his as they headed for the elevator.

“I really like that dress,” he manages to get out before the doors close, and the reflection of her small smile in the metal gives him all the confidence he needs.

III.

He feels the hands before he sees them.

“You are never going to be good at this,” Melinda teases, going through the familiar motions of tying his tie. Phil rolls his eyes, and Melinda laughs. She’s dressed in a dark blue dress that falls to her knees, her hair up in a twist, a white flower stuck in it.

“Well I don’t have to be, with you around,” he teases right back. If he doesn’t joke, the crack in his heart widens, and he can’t think about that today. Melinda beams, positively radiant, and he swallows hard as she tucks the fabric into itself, forming the knot.

“Thank you,” she says, voice turning serious as she finished tying it, securing it around his neck and smoothing the fabric down. Phil frowns, questioning, and she fixes her gaze on his throat. “For coming. Being here.”

Phil tilts her chin up with a finger until she looks at him, and smiles.

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else. You’re my partner.”

Melinda lifts onto her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, slipping her arm through his.

“Come on- I’m getting married, I can’t be late.”

IV.

“You’re hopeless,” he looks up at the familiar voice, swallowing hard.

Melinda looks smaller somehow, in the dark suit she’s been wearing since transferring to administration, hair pulled back in a ponytail. She takes the tie from him, silently beginning to tie the knot.

The air between them in heavy with unsaid things- the lack of ring on her left hand. The unanswered phone calls. The ache in Phil’s chest whenever he looks at her.

“Fury said you’re heading for the helicarrier,” her voice is soft, and Phil nods.

“Meeting the rest of the team,” he answers, hating that his voice is rough, and swallowing again. Melinda’s lips twitch into a semblance of a smile.

“Have you been practicing your speech for Captain America in the mirror?” her voice is almost teasing, and Phil’s lips part a little in shock, because it’s been _so long_.

“Is it dorky to admit that I have been?” he asks, and this time, he gets a genuine smile from her as her palms press to his chest.

“I wouldn’t expect anything else,” she answers, and she takes a breath. “Just be careful, okay?”

Phil scoffs as she tucks his tie into his jacket.

“You know me- I’m always careful. This assignment will be easy; I’m just the welcome wagon.”

V.

“How are you so terrible at this?”

Slim fingers take his tie from him, and he huffs. Daisy laughs, going through the motions, before she frowns.

“Wait. I may not be any better at this than you,” she focuses back on the fabric, muttering under her breath. “May showed me how to do this ten times on Fitz and now I’m blanking.”

“There’s a reason she always ties my ties for me,” Phil tells her, and Daisy gives him a smile as she shakes her head.

“Well, the groom can’t see the bride, so you’re out of luck,” the overwhelming fondness in the younger woman’s tone sends warmth through Phil’s chest, and he touches her shoulder lightly. Daisy blushes, ducking her head, before she swatted at him. “Let me focus, I can’t let you get married with a crooked tie.”

Phil smiled, but stayed silent- finally, Daisy let out a noise of triumph, and stepped back. Framing her hands, she grinned at him.

“You look perfect,” she is positively beaming, and she rushes forward to hug him tightly, kissing his cheek. “I’m so unbelievably happy for you two.”

She whispers the words into his neck before she pulls away, wiping underneath her eyes. Phil cups her cheek, brushing away a stray tear, before he leads her to where their family is waiting. Fitz and Mack clap his shoulder, and Jemma beams from where she’s standing across from Fitz- Daisy goes to join her, and they all turn at the door opening.

Melinda’s dressed in white- at the insistence of Daisy and Jemma, upon hearing her first marriage had been an elopement she’d worn blue to. It’s gorgeous, falling to her ankles and swishing as she walks, but Phil can’t take his eyes off her face- at the soft smile playing around her lips, and the warmth in her eyes, and at the way she can’t look anywhere but him.

When she reaches his side, she lifts a hand to affectionately stroke over his tie, smiling at the knot that’s just ever-so-slightly lopsided.

“It’ll do,” she whispers, shooting Daisy a soft smile as she hands her flowers off before she faces Phil again, sliding her hands into his. “Ready?”

“I’ll follow you anywhere,” he answers simply, eyes on her face and lips tugged into a warm, broad smile. Melinda flushes, smile widening just a little, and she squeezes his hands.

“We’re _finally_ gathered here today…”


End file.
